West End - week one

From what I have researched so far, it seems that the West End lacks personality. According to most of the reviews I found online the district has become too corporate, boasting chain restaurants and expensive shops meanwhile overshadowing local businesses and talent. Because of this, tourists visiting the West End are not getting a unique experience. When I think of a unique city, Austin always comes to mind. Local talents perform every day and quirky souvenir shops plague the downtown area; it offers an experience that you can’t get anywhere else. The district should dive into the local talent pool and perhaps find street performers that could liven up the place.  

Having said that, maybe there is an opportunity for the West End to take advantage of its historic status in order to establish a personality for itself. The fact that there are so many chain restaurants and very few “mom-and- pop” places contradicts its historical status. If this is the place where most tourists go, developers should keep these stakeholders in mind when attempting to revamp the area.  They need to take advantage of the available architecture and incorporate a theme so that people visiting the area get an experience they can’t find anywhere else. Also, when I think of Dallas I think of a technologically advanced urban area, there should be a way to incorporate that into the district without losing the historical feel.  

In continuing with the district’s historic status, there are several museums in the area but I am not sure if they are within walking distance of each other or how economically accessible they are. Perhaps they should offer a package with a set rate that includes access to all the museums as well as transportation to these. Accessibility seems to be an issue in the West End because the area is so spread out. Tourists visiting the area may find it more appealing if they are guided to certain areas.

I started with three issues: lack of personality, preservation of historical status and accessibility. But once I expanded these I found that they overlap. I feel that the more I research these themes they will come together to form a pretty solid case.              

Week 5 - Emergency Contraception

Emergency contraception or “the morning after pill” is an over-the-counter drug used to prevent pregnancy AFTER intercourse unlike other contraceptives that must be used in advance.  Different from abortion which terminates a pregnancy, it merely prevents fertilization of the egg making it less controversial.

Victims of rape have benefitted from the morning after pill and so have couples. It has become a means of “erasing” a mistake or accident. This “after-the-fact” contraception has given women further control of their bodies and their sexuality. They are no longer condemned to the repercussions of unprotected or forced intercourse. But some may argue that its accessibility promotes irresponsible sexual behavior, especially in teens. Because women have further control of their bodies, it may prompt them to be more promiscuous. Although innovations like these have empowered women in many ways, they are incapable of reversing preconceived notions of ethical female behavior.     

Week 5 - Artificial Insemination

Often thought of as a modern technology, artificial insemination actually dates back to the 1950s. Ever since, this medical procedure has empowered women by freeing them from traditional reproductive roles.

Artificial insemination is the process by which sperm is planted in the female’s reproductive tract thus impregnating her without the need for sexual intercourse. It has enabled single and homosexual women to conceive a child without the need for an actual relationship with a male. Motherhood is no longer restricted to the heterosexual woman in a relationship; it has become an option for any woman capable of conceiving. It has liberated females from the societal pressures of finding a partner in order to reproduce. This idea of breeding without the need of a partner could possibly lead to a female revolution in reproduction where women no longer seek a man to placate their maternal desires.      

Week 5 - Induced Abortion

In continuing with female rights, abortion is another innovative process that has allowed women to take control of their reproductive systems. This controversial practice has provided women with an alternative when it comes to unwanted pregnancies; it has given them control of their own bodies.

Before abortion was legalized, women virtually had no choice when it came to giving birth once the child was already conceived. Victims of rape and incest had to accept the outcome regardless. And in cases where the mother did not have the means to care for the child, the two suffered alike. Although unfair to the child, abortion became a viable choice which women did not have in the past.

But to this day abortion continues to be taboo and is spurned by society, oftentimes viewed as homicide. Although it empowered women by giving them a choice, it also made them subjects of public controversy. Legality and ethics clash in this ongoing debate between the individual’s rights and what is morally correct. 

Week 4 - Computers in the Classroom

In recent years, more and more schools have adopted computerized teaching as an innovative learning system. Access to personal computers in the classroom has bridged the gap between education and technology in a world governed by the latter. Students are more likely to be engaged in the learning process if it is facilitated by a computer because they are accustomed to using the technology in every other aspect of their lives. In a world where technology is advancing at an incredible speed, computer skills are vital to achieving success in the professional world.

But this innovative system is also detrimental to learning. As we all know, you can find answers to almost anything on the internet. Students nowadays are borrowing ideas from others instead of developing their own – it’s a new form of cheating. The ease of finding an answer has replaced the basic thinking process. Not only that, teachers that are not “tech-savvy” may find it difficult to adjust and properly execute their teaching strategies. Could computers eventually make teachers obsolete? If computers are able to tutor as well or even better than a teacher, the latter element is at risk of being eliminated from the system. 

Week 4 - Online College Classes

Online college courses have opened the doors to non-traditional students and changed the way people think about higher education. It is now possible to pursue a degree on your own time and without the inconvenience of having to travel to the actual university. The ease of accessing classes at any time is mostly appealing to people with full-time jobs, families, or other responsibilities that otherwise would not permit them to further their education. Some universities even offer degrees that are entirely online. Professors also find them practical because they do not actually have to be present in order to teach the material.

Universities are expanding their domain by using technologies like these and reaching wider audiences. By facilitating education, institutions are spreading the message that pretty much anyone can attend college. It is financially appealing to the institution as well as socially appealing to its students. 

Week 4 - Long Distance Learning

“Long distance learning” is a technology that allows high school students to take college classes without having to attend the institution. In essence it is a virtual classroom directed by a real professor in real time. A camera located in the actual classroom transmits the feed to the high school classroom through television sets which allow the students to see, hear and talk to the professor as if they were actually there.

This technology makes it possible for high school students to advance their college careers before they graduate. It changes the way we perceive higher education; students no longer have to wait until they’re out of high school to start college. It mainly facilitates the process for kids in rural areas that do not have immediate access to a university. They do not have to travel long distances which may interfere with other educational demands.